Lisa Judson is leaving her position as head of Warner Bros. Animation after just 10 months on the job, according to VARIETY. Her duties will be consolidated under Warner Bros. Television president Peter Roth.
The studio confirmed the change, saying Judson intended to return to New York, from which she relocated to take the job. The job was a significant leap for Judson, who previously served as SVP of marketing at AOL. She also worked at Nickelodeon.
In addition to overseeing the studio's primetime production and Warner Horizon Television, Roth will oversee all non-feature animation, including BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD series for Time Warner-owned Cartoon Network, straight-to-DVD projects, online and new media animation and creating live-action series from WB's animated franchises.
Warners is producing fewer animated original series than they have in the past, partly because the CW network (of which WB owns half) is joining the trend of outsourcing its Saturday-morning children's programming to outside suppliers.
The company also owns DC Comics and Cartoon Network and their lucrative merchandising potential, so animation will continue to be a priority. Warners announced in September the creation of a "fully immersive and customizable online world" called T-Works to showcase those assets. It should launch officially at the end of April.
Roth's expanded duties mark a return for him. One of his first jobs was in children's programming at ABC during the 1970s. He won't officially start in animation until June 1 to allow him to focus on primetime development for the major network's upfront presentations in May.
